LA Fishing Report: Calicos, Barracuda, and Rockfish Bites on Live Bait and Plastics

Good morning Los Angeles anglers, this is Artificial Lure with your Wednesday, May 28, 2025 fishing report, straight from the docks and local haunts. The sun rose today at 5:44 am and will set at 7:59 pm, giving us a long window for both early birds and late afternoon casters to hit the water. Weather in the LA basin is calm and pleasantly warm. Expect clear skies and light swell, with high temps peaking in the mid-70s. The tide cycle is favorable, with a morning high and a dropping tide through midday, often triggering more active feeding windows. Fish have been lively these past couple days. Party boats out of San Pedro, like the Monte Carlo and Native Sun, are reporting strong numbers. The Monte Carlo racked up 7 barracuda, 100 sculpin, 15 legal calico bass, and released even more—35 barracuda and 120 calicos set loose to grow bigger. The Native Sun’s 3/4 day trip added 2 sand bass, 13 barracuda, 105 sculpin, 18 calico bass, and 12 whitefish to the mix. The Pursuit, running a full day, put anglers on 41 salmon grouper, 10 sheephead, 7 blue perch, 7 calico bass, 16 whitefish, over 100 mixed rockfish, and 25 red snapper. Near Dana Point, boats are seeing plenty of calico bass action, sheephead, halibut, and rockfish, with lots of calico released for next time too[1][2]. Best action lately has been on live sardines and anchovies if you can get them from the bait barge, especially when targeting calico bass, barracuda, and whitefish. For artificials, try 3.8-inch swimbaits like the Keitech Swing Impact in natural baitfish colors for calico and sand bass. A 1/8 to 1/4 ounce leadhead jig will do you right, or switch to plastic scampis and curly tail grubs for sculpin and rockfish. Barracuda are striking surface irons and flashy spoons in chrome or mint green. Don’t forget a dropper loop rig with squid if you’re hunting sheephead and rockfish down deep[3]. For hot spots, check out the kelp lines off Point Fermin and the breakwall near Cabrillo Beach—these are producing steady action for bass and the occasional yellowtail or barracuda. The Horseshoe Kelp is another classic LA summer staple for a mixed bag, and the flats just east of Palos Verdes are turning out some quality halibut and sheephead. Pro tip for the day: fish the change of the tide for your best shot and bring a mix of bait and artificials to dial in the bite. The fish are here, the weather’s perfect, and the boats are coming in smiling. Tight lines and good luck out there—this is Artificial Lure, signing off. This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI.